Wyze to launch home monitoring and security service

This is interesting, and conflicting…

Wyze has been claiming that these cameras are not security cameras, and now the same cameras are going to be part of a “professional” security system?

And I guess this also verifies what we already knew about the Wyze Sense stuff… It’s not great.

Another point I’d like to raise is that when you start making professional security claims, you need to have your ducks in a row with every new product integration, and every app update… Something Wyze continually struggles with. I feel like Wyze has to do some serious convincing to show those of us familiar with your brand that you’re capable of successful change management. If we’re going to rely on the Wyze ecosystem for the safety of ourselves and our loved ones, these products need to function reliably 99.9% of the time. No more ping-ponging between updates and broken features.

I do wish the best to Wyze in this venture, and hope to see changes that position your organization to be successful.

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Going up against Ring and SimpliSafe and others, y’all better start sending me stuff to test to make sure you’re ready.

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:slight_smile:

If Wyze is owning up to reliability of sensors. And the new version will provide reliability. What happens to the folks who have purchased sensors and said that they are as reliable as a dog looking after my chicken dinner?

I like Wyze hence I’ve got the cameras and would buy more if available in Canada, but don’t throw out products that are not reliable / we become real life testers

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I just dumped SimpliSafe because I was sick of a security system who didn’t integrate with anybody. Paying the yearly license fee for an alarm system to the city, plus a monthly fee to a monitoring company where I then get fined when a false trigger causes a response? Not even. All I want is something that sends me a message, lets me look at the camera/sensor info, and then decide what to do. The cops won’t show up until an hour or two after anything happens in my neighborhood, anyway. So, not even vaguely invested in another subscription black hole that pays no real benefit.

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I assume this will be for USA only?

I suggest Wyze consider developing a system that can use as an alternative a battery (18650) or 12V back-up and still interfaces w cellular or WiFi. A system such as this would be immensely useful in situations where there is no grid power but still have cellular or rural WiFi service.

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Re: Current cams and Sensors not being reliable enough for security, remember that WyzeXuLi has already mentioned they were working on a V3 cam. I assume that will launch with this system as an official “security cam” and the V2 sensors will also be “security grade” sensors. Allowing the other cams and sensors to work with the system is simply a customer convenience thing, not necessarily a claim that they are suddenly “security grade” ultra-reliable devices out of the blue.

I was really excited about this product until I read WyzeGwendolyn confirmed that a subscription for this product is absolutely mandatory (does this REALLY surprise anyone? I mean, look at their recent moves with PD, Video Doorbell, etc with hard pressure for subscriptions for things to function well). This being the case, don’t get your hopes up too much that it will be intentionally compatible with opensource projects like Home Assistant. However, that doesn’t mean that someone won’t hack the sensors or other devices so that they will work on other systems (after all they already hacked V1 sensors to work totally locally on Home Assistant, and some hacked a V2 with flashed firmware too, so it might happen anyway).

I assume part of the reason for the mandatory subscription is because in order to be a reliable security system they need 24/7 cloud recording. I understand that would require a subscription to meet real professional security standards. Still, we should have the option to choose not to do that, and just warn us that it is then not as reliable or whatever.

I definitely don’t want “professionals” looking at my feeds (aka let’s call it what it really is…some bored, minimum wage call center rep who hates their job but can spy on people any time, maybe constantly “monitoring” our video feeds at their leisure…maybe only when an alert is triggered…it’s all the same). I will never want a security system that gives anyone besides me or those few I trust with shared permissions access to my security system feeds. If there is a problem then I can choose to share the recording with law-enforcement or others later.

Wyze should have a free and subscription level of this similar to like what Alexa Guard does:

Obviously the free version would mean no emergency helpline calling, or “professionals” monitoring our feeds, or 24 hour cloud storage, or PD alerts (unless the new V3 is able to do it locally by then), I’m okay without any of that. What happens if I buy the system just to get the devices then cancel my subscription? Will the sensors and V3 cams or whatever other devices there are suddenly become completely non-functional? Could I continue to use sensors or other things in some way ie: still connected to the Wyze App with notifications, etc., just not the “security” hub? IDK, but I’d consider trying that if needed.

Hopefully some of the devices will be sold separately from the security system. I would love to by V2 sensors separate. I am hoping the V3 cams WyzeXuLi talked about working on aren’t solely available in this package. There are other things I’d consider buying or using separately too.

I’m reservedly excited for the new devices and progress, but concerned investors are pressing for forcing us into a locked-down system with required subscriptions in order to get any new stuff.

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@carverofchoice

I was not aware that they are working on a v3. Where did you see this? Could you please post a link to this? Sorry that I missed it!

I’m with Wyze because I want to control things myself. I don’t need, and don’t want someone else having access. Please make this self monitorable.

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I first heard V3 mentioned during the hour-long “Live AMA with the Wyze Team” webinar about the WCO launch on 6/23/2020.

Right around 24:47, after they clarified that WCO doesn’t have continuous recording, and so sometimes a V2 would be better for some people’s needs, he says:

“You know, this is Wyze Cam Outdoor, it’s not V3, although, you know there is something in the works.”

Then you keep listening up through around 25:17 when he’s just said that if you need V2’s continuous recording, then:

[WCO] is not the best replacement for that, I mean, you may be waiting for V3.

Live AMA with the Wyze Team - WCO Webinar

I think I heard it again somewhere else, but this was the first time I heard Wyze mention something about V3. Of course it’s not really an official announcement, but obviously the founders of Wyze have an upgraded camera on their thoughts.

Furthermore, they recently posted job positions to look for someone who can program local edge based device solutions, indicating that they were looking into options for doing localized PD, which they’ve already said they can’t support doing on their current cams anymore since they’ve used up a lot more space and processor since a year ago with other things, so they are just doing cloud PD now for those current cams. This indicates the edge position was being made for a new device that would have hardware and memory sufficient to allow a local solution (at least that’s the implication), which stands to reason this is another indication of working on a V3.

Again, no official announcements, just a bunch of hints and indications they’ve been working on an upgraded V3 (hopefully 2K, RTSP, local PD, etc.)…but possibly just for this new system?

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Thank you very much for this information!

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I hope the V3 is 2K resolution and not 1080p as that is now old technology. Also they mood to be available via the App, a web portal/browser and have storage options like, cloud, SD-card and NAS via RTSP.

And any devices that are used for security should also be able to be used without a subscription as well.

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I’m not comfortable with any company monitoring my house. the old fashioned burglar alarms is enough for me but when it gets to looking at my cams and what I’m doing that makes me uneasy. I too would rather self monitor (much like I’m doing already)

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I still think the “Santa Claus” on the Ring talking to the kid was a bored Ring employee or someone who monitors those cams. Not saying Wyze would do that but it still concerns me.

Just a suggestion but maybe fix the Person Detection first. Just so that the police are not being dispatched over a spider. I’m still getting spiders setting off PD although it was “fixed” and I would not be happy paying fines to the Police Department for false alarms. And I’m with the others on the self monitoring, but sadly until then I won’t be subbing to it and pay more money per month on fines then I earn. I’ll stick with my current set up. :slight_smile:

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Personally my wife thinks calling in nukes for spiders is a perfectly reasoned and rational response. So she is all for “spidey detection” as long as it’s got “spidey annihilation” as the next step.

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Hmm what about cats or lamps turning on? Because that sets off Person Detection too. And nothing is worth pay hundreds to the police for false alarms. I’d be paying 50K each month in fines.

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I agree, cats (pets) or lights turning on or off is overkill. But being able to “launch the nukes” is just being a good neighbor!

Well hopefully like everything else this will not be forced upon us because I still have no need for it. And I personally like spiders. I don’t like that cam plus was forced on us and you have to go through hoops to disable and I can see the same thing happening with this since they most likely will be updating the firmware and app versions for this. Just voicing now while still in development so that Wyze is aware of why some people may not sub to this service.

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